Utensil for truing and re-forming the metallic flanges of fruit-jar covers.



No. 786,789. y' PATENTED APR. 4, 1905.

, I; M.,HUNTLI:Y.J G AND RB- FORMING THB METALLIC `0F FRUIT JAR GUVBRS. j

APPLICATION FILED ooTI1o.1v9o4.

U'IENSIL 'POR IRUIN PLANGBS I, I n gZyezzaf;

i.. n *I *By i l? UNITED STATES Patented April 4, 1905.

PATENTy OFFICE.

CHARLES B. BERGER, OF ROCKFORD, lLLINOIS.

UTENSlL FOR TRUING AND RE-FQRMING THE METALLIC FLANGES'OF FRAUIT-JAR COVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.v 786,789, dated April 4, 1905.

` Application inea october 1o, 1904. serialno. 227,960.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JAY M.v HUNTLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rockford, inthe county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented 'certain new and useful Improvements in Utensils for Truing and Re-Forming the Metallic Flanges of Fruit-J ar Covers, of which the following is a specification.

The flanges of the metallic portions of fruitjar covers-as, for instance, the covers of the known Mason glass fruit-jar-are often bent out of shape in .removing them from their jars vor by accident or through carelessness after their removal therefrom. A very common way of removing such covers from jars of fruit is to insert a caseknife between their rubber sealing-gaskets and their flanges and therewith bend the latter upward until air enters the cans between such gaskets and covers, when the latter can be readily unscrewed therefrom by the hand of the operator. The result of the operation just described is to render the flanges of the covers thus treated so irregular in form that they will not again engage a gasket throughout their vwhole circumference, thereby rendering them unfit for further use. As already pointed out, such irregularities in form may also be produced in the flanges of such covers in other ways than that described above with a like result. l

The object of my invention is to provide a simplyconstructed .utensil that any housewife, domestic, or other not especiallyskilled person can readily use to true and re-form the l my invention and having a fruit-jar cover placed thereon preparatory to having its flange trued and re-formed ready for use. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a section at the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. l with parts of the utensil in different positions from those there shown.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

A is a circular die having its face A true and conformed to the shape desired to be impressed upon the fruit-jar-cover ianges to be operated .upon and provided with a transverse concentric annular seat A2 fo'r maintaining such covers in operative position upon the utensil.

A3 is a part of the base of the die A and is integral therewith and is here shown as being in bar form, though its form is, in fact, immaterial.

B is a presser-lever pivoted by one end B through a preferably elongated longitudinal opening B2 therein and by means of a pintlebearing B3 to the base of the die A. Elongating or enlarging the opening B2 in the bar B allows it to-be slid back and forth endwise, as indicated by dotted lines@ in Fig. 3, for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.

C is a presser for forcing the flange of a cover downY upon and conforming it to the shape presented by the face A of the die A and is preferably mounted upon and secured to the lever B by means of a supporting-block C2 and screws U3.

D is a metallic fruit-jar cover terminating peripherally in the usual flange D,`adapted to lit upon a rubber gasket (not shown) and provided with a porcelain or glass disk D2, serving as a lining for the top thereof.

Supposing the base of the utensil to be resting in and grasped by the left hand of the operator and that a cover D, with a supposedly bent and irregular flange D,'has been placed thereon while the lever B and presser C thereof were in the positions shownA in Fig. 3 to be trued and re-formed, its'mode of operation will be as follows: The free end of the lever B is seized with the right hand andv pushed inward until the under surface of the free end portion of the presser C engages the upper surface of the flange D', Fig. 1. The lever is then pressed firmly downward, as indicated by the dotted line a in Fig. 3, and rotated, thereby forcing the ange D of the cover down upon and conforming it to the shape presented by the face A of the die A.

What I claim 3s new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a utensil of the class described, in combination, a circular die having its face conformed to the shape desired to be impressed upon the fruit-jar-cover anges, to be operated upon, a presser for forcing' the flanges of such covers down upon and conforming them to the face of the die, and a rotatable lever for supporting and operating the presser, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In autensil of the class described, in combination, a circular die having its face conformed to the shape desired to be impressed upon the flange of a fruit-jar cover, a presserlever pivoted by its inner end to the base of the die and slidable back and forth endwise, and a presserfor forcing the llange of such cover down upon and conforming it to the shape presented by the face of the die-carried by such lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In autensil of the class described, in combination, a circular die A, having its face A true and conformed to the shape desired to be impressed upon the fruit-jar-cover flanges to be operated upon and provided with a transverse concentric annular seat A2 for such cov ers, a presser-lever B pivoted by one end B', through an elongated longitudinal opening B2 therein, and by means of a pintle-bearing B, to the base of the die, and a presser C-for forcing the flanges of thc covers down upon and conforming them to the Shape presented by the face A of the die Amounted upon and secured to the lever B, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nume to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAY M. HUN'IIQEY.

INTitnesses:

L. MORRISON, NELLIE E. ENNETT. 

